Charm and Kindness do not Cover on how to Milk a Cow
by RionAgrias
Summary: Ren's actions with an inebriated adult leaves him with few possibilities. With no school willing to accept him after expulsion, he is given an opportunity to redeem himself in a program to better coexist in a community where he can learn and grow. With no explanation ahead of time, he has no idea that the skills necessary to better himself are far beyond him... in the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Left Out to Pasture**

_Am I pulling a bit of a P5 with Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons? Kind of… I know what the main imports/exports are in Japan, and reality can be bent for fun. Also, Shido is not the person assaulting the woman in the beginning for obvious reasons. Just imagine it was the SIU director._

_Italics = Ren's thoughts_

* * *

_**Late Afternoon**_\- **1****st**** of April**

This car trip was endless, at least seemed to be in the frizzy black-haired young man's eyes. The scenery was pretty for the first few kilometers after getting out of town, but everything looked the same after a while. The air inside the vehicle was getting stagnant as well, and the only liquid available to him was a past-lukewarm water he had brought from his home. He was still wearing his now former school clothes because they were somewhat comfortable. Where he was headed, though, they would not be of much use. The story on why he was headed there was incredulous, ridiculous, and downright frustrating.

* * *

The reason he was in this vehicle headed far out to who knows where was for what he considered a ridiculous reason. Every Thursday, he left his high school slightly later than usual due to club commitments. On his somewhat long walk back home from high school, he heard a distressed voice of a woman calling out for someone to leave her alone, followed by a retort of a rough male voice telling her to get into a car. He quickened his pace to see if he could help the woman, but the response of the apparently inebriated man was to stay away from him and the woman. Regardless, despite the man's warnings and continued approaches towards the woman, he still attempted to help by not quite pulling the drunk man away. It caused the older male to slip and fall, which resulted in a minor injury. Stopping him inadvertently should have been the end of it, but the older man apparently had sway with officials and he was the one who was arrested.

Being arrested, even if it was for a ridiculous reason, was still enough to send him on a ridiculous spiral towards his current situation of being stuck in a car for an amount of time even he had lost track of.

After being put in handcuffs and booked on assault charges, which included a lengthy probation sentence, he was expelled from his high school for the black mark put on his record. His parents were more than ashamed for what had happened, completely disregarding the situation, and did their best to try and force him out of the household. The only positive thing they did for him was try and find a new place for him to live, only because he had first mentioned that he wanted to find another school to finish his education even if it meant sending him to Tokyo or some other big city. However, no school in Japan apparently wanted a person with a record like his in their school. With no opportunity for returning to school in the near future presenting itself to his parents, a few more tendrils of communication reached out.

One day, a few weeks after being released, just before dawn, an old white car arrived in front of his parents' home, unannounced. The only warning being that his parents had subtly mentioned that a solution had been found, but nothing about attending a new school was in the conversation. Out from the white car stepped a middle-aged man, somewhat balding with a somewhat lengthy but well-kept beard. The man was wearing a stunning white suit and matched it was a similar white hat once he closed the door to his vehicle. The man headed straight to his house and then proceeded to introduce himself to his parents, and then to the frizzy-haired young man who had only gotten up a few minutes ago.

"I'm Sojiro, and I'm here to take you to your new residence," he said curtly. He seemed very straightforward.

Not knowing exactly how to respond in kind, the frizzy-haired boy said in response, "My name is Ren. Thank you for picking me up."

Sojiro just nodded, looked at Ren's parents and asked them, "So, this is the guy. Is he packed because we're on kind of a tight schedule if we want to get back before tomorrow?"

Ren's parents looked at their child for a response.

_They sort of mentioned that they had found somewhere for me to go, but they never said where I was going or when I was leaving._

Ren admitted to the visitor, "I have a few things thrown together, but no one has told me where I am going." This response got him disapproving glances from his parents, probably because of his admittance that they did not tell him where he was going, or that he had not packed at all. Most likely both reasons were why they were giving him disapproving glances.

Sojiro looked him up and down, mainly at his white polo and pants ensemble, "Well, where you're going those clothes will be ill-suited for your work."

_I mean if I'm at a new school, I'll have a uniform._

Sojiro continued, while shrugging, "I guess if there is a festival, they might be suitable, but day-to-day work will require something a little more heavy-duty." He turned to Ren's parents and asked, "Does he have any overalls, workmanlike-clothes?"

Ren's father replied, "I think there's an old pair of mine that he could fit into. It might be a little loose for him at the moment, but with a little muscle growth."

_Overalls? What exactly will I be doing?_

Regardless of his confusion, he was soon rushed upstairs to finish throwing together some clothes and toiletries into something that could not really be a proper piece of luggage. It was a large cardboard packing box that was covered in masking tape. With his father's slightly worn overalls brought to him, most likely from a part-time job at a gas station or who knows what, he finished taping up the box and found himself giving hasty farewells to his parents as he and Sojiro lugged the big box into the backseat as miscellaneous goods that were already lying in the trunk made it an impossible fit.

_Was that an espresso machine?_

Ren still had not made much if at all conversation with Sojiro since the joint exchange that included his parents. Besides giving Ren directions about where to put that big box that included clothes and basic necessities… outside of keeping the overalls, sleepwear, and some basic toiletries in a bag in the backseat, there was no other words spoken even after the man ditched his white hat, started up his car, and left Ren's home and town.

_I still pretty much don't know what exactly is going on. This is so stupid, but I should probably figure out what the supposed plan is in case I need to jump out the car door or something._

A few minutes into the trek, Sojiro finally chimed in, "From what I've heard, you stopped some guy from forcing himself on some girl, the guy got hurt, and then he sued you." When Ren nodded, Sojiro continued. "It's what you get for involving yourself in adults' business."

_It's a bad thing to interject when some old guy was going to do something illegal. Why should he not be punished and why should I be punished because I was young and stopped it?_

"I only did it beca…," Ren started his complaint, but never got to finish his fifth word.

"If people have influence and power, adults can treat children like they're useless cattle." Sojiro interjected almost forcefully. "To be fair, they can do that to most adults, too." His voice softened slightly as he added. "Well, you won't be considered a child for the next year or so."

_This guy did have the power to influence the police… Wait, I won't be considered a child? Where exactly am I going?_

Ren shook his head and pried for the information he needed, "If you don't mind me asking, but considering my parents never explained what was truly going on. So, do you think you can tell me where we are going?"

Sojiro appeared to roll his eyes, yet still looking forward on the road, "We're headed to a small town, actually closer to a village in size."

"What's the name of this village?" Ren asked.

"Yongen," Sojiro responded.

_It sounds similar to Sangenjaya in Tokyo, but I have never even heard of Yongen._

The typical vestiges of civilization had started to disappear as the two began their conversation, but Ren still needed a lot more information, "You're saying I won't be considered a child at Yongen, but what stops people older than me from doing so?"

"Well, some people in authority might do so, but most people, regardless of age, will treat you with respect as long as you do." Sojiro explained succinctly. "That's because you will be learning to be a functioning member of society doing work that benefits the community."

_So, I'm not going to school?_

"That means my parents didn't find a new school for me to attend, it seems," Ren gave his assumption.

"That's right," Sojiro said. He added. "Your parents worked it out with your old school, though, on what you could do to be able to return to classes."

"And that would be…?" Ren started.

"Living in Yongen and working on a restoration project inside the limits," Sojiro answered the question.

_Restoration project? What is he talking about?_

"The restoration project is one that is a benefit to the community and society as a whole," Sojiro continued through Ren's thoughts. "You will be restoring and working on an old family farm."

_A farm? What!? I'm not a farmer._

"I'm supposed to restore and work on a farm?" Ren gave Sojiro an incredulous look, even if Sojiro's face was turned away from him. "Farms are never run by one person, alone."

"You'll be getting some help when it comes to certain tasks and logistics, but yes, a majority of the grunt work will be your problem. It's to teach you to become a functioning adult." Even with the gruff statement, Sojiro seemed slightly conflicted. He then sighed. "It's not like anyone is expecting miracles here."

_Anyone? _

When Ren voiced his thought, Sojiro explained, "The villagers don't expect you to stimulate the whole economy of Yongen." A small mutter did emerge from his breath. "Though it wouldn't hurt if you did."

_What did he say at the end?_

Sojiro again broke through Ren's thoughts with a slightly sterner tone, "It doesn't mean you can slack off, or not produce any results at all. You are on probation after all, and they will want to know what you're doing."

_Of course they do._

The conversation slowed down for a while with nothing to focus on but open road, landscape, and the occasional vehicle going past. Ren started to take a deep breath and get a grasp of the situation. He was being sent to an even smaller locale than his own, where he would be expected to work on a farm. He was no farmer. The only experience he had with planting crops was planting a flower and measuring its continuing growth for a school project, and the only experience he had with animals was when it was his turn to take care of the school pet back years ago. He barely remembered doing any of that. Was he expected to till fields, fertilize, plant and harvest by himself?

_If I'm expected to milk a cow or something, I'm going to go crazy. At least, he said I'll be treated like an adult._

It was another thirty to forty minutes of endless driving before he checked his phone. With no reception, Ren shook his head at the absurdity of it all. There should not be a place in the country where reception did not exist for his phone, even if they are on the road.

No reception bugged him, but he tried to push it out of his mind and catch a quick nap or something of that sort. He was never averse to taking a nap, especially if there was nothing else for him to do. The time asleep was fleeting, though. Again and again, Ren soon found himself idly watching the countryside.

_I really should have brought a book or something. Maybe if I had more time to pack? Or knew that I had to pack today at all?_

With a lack of diverse scenery in view, Ren turned his attention to Sojiro for the moment, "Going with the assumption that you are a resident of Yongen, can I ask what your job in Yongen is?"

The question did seem a little direct, but Sojiro answered it regardless, "I operate the restaurant and registration side of the town's inn."

_Does that involve coffee-making?_

Ren decided to pry a little more, "Does your inn get a lot of traffic?"

Sojiro's nod was miniscule, "Most of our visitors are merchants looking to buy and sell wares or other items." His tone changed to slightly forlorn from the usual gruffness displayed earlier. "We used to get tourists and such during festival times, or just to view the countryside. I guess old-fashioned just do not equal success these days."

_To be honest, I would probably agree. I have a feeling that cell coverage is going to be just as spotty in Yongen as it is on our drive over._ _Who knows how far behind the times my destination is? There are festivals, though. _ _I doubt I get to take Golden Week off I'm supposed to be a farmer. Though is Golden Week really a festival, or is it just a series of holidays? Plants won't water themselves…_

Ren's thoughts continued to wander aimlessly as the drive continued and continued. He lost track of where he was, generally because of what seemed like the lack of road signs showing themselves. The drive seemed so uneventful he barely remembered if he ate lunch or not.

Eventually, day turned to dusk, and then evening as the overbearing sun fell giving way to a warning crescent moon. When Sojiro made a slow turn to the right, the road the two had been traveling on degraded slowly from fine asphalt to dusty dirt-laden patchwork that finally became seemed to be just a dirt road over grass itself. The road, lacking barriers, did not seem to be well-traveled by cars, and Sojiro slowed down his vehicle as he traversed along the dusty path.

One kilometer and two turns later, a large wooden arch standing high above the road with a sign nailed on the center greeted the two as Sojiro slowed even more than he had when the road changed textures. The sign read 'Yongen'.

_I guess we've arrived._

As the two ambled through in the car, the roads thinned slightly, and even more in various turn-offs. Sojiro, however, stayed on the same path where the road was the widest. Ren assumed it was the main road of the village.

The illumination was not the greatest, as most of the light came from a moon that was nowhere near being full, but Ren could still see that from the outlying roads were rustic homes built in a style that could pass for a time well before the present.

_I see a lot of wood and what I assume is metal roofing, but it doesn't seem early 20__th__ century Japanese either. This has to be a portal to another country in another time period, seriously._

Regardless of how Ren assumed the buildings looked in the moonlight, he shifted his attention back to the main road where there were two paths that broke off to the right hundreds of meters after each other. The path's farther away turned to cobblestone at the turn while the path closer away dissipated completely. Sojiro took the closest path to where the "road" disappeared.

There may be a lack of road, but in Ren's vision came into view a quite large two-story fancy wooden building with two doors of somewhat similar material facing the front of the building. One of the wooden doors, on the left side of the front if facing head-on to the building, about twenty-five percent of the way across was well-lit due to multiple windows on the second floor that what appeared to be lighting. There were most likely second-floor windows on the other sides of the building. There were a few windows by the left side door on the first floor as well. A large wooden divider, though not completely cutting off the building, cut into the middle of the building. The right side of the front of the building, equidistant to the door on the left, was a door exactly the same in every dimension. However, there were more windows and lighting on the first floor, and only one window at the front of the second floor in this half of the building. The second floor window was dark as well.

_What is this place? Sojiro's place of work?_

Sojiro stopped his vehicle just about in front of the middle of the building, about ten to fifteen meters away. As he cut the engine, the bearded middle-aged man turned his head towards Ren and said in an authoritative voice, "Grab the extra pair of clothes from the back and head inside. I'll meet you there. Don't worry about your big box of stuff right now."

_Don't worry about it, huh? Guess I'm not living here._

Ren reached into the back seat for what would be his clothes for tomorrow and a small bag of toiletries he could keep hold of in one hand. With the clothes in his other arm, he asked Sojiro what seemed like an obvious question, "Which door should I go through?"

Sojiro looked slightly annoyed as he unbuckled, "There are signs, you know." The man in the white suit sighed. "Just go through the door on the left and I will be right behind you."

_Signs? I didn't see any signs._

In spite of Ren's confusion, he reached for the handle of the car door with his right hand, and took his first steps into Yongen. With his clothes under one arm and the hastily put together toiletries bag in the other, Ren walked towards the left-side door of the large wooden building. It was only as he drew close to the door that he noticed a wooden sign of a different shade plastered to the middle of the door that read 'Inn and Café'

_This sign is way too small. It's flanked by four windows that easily overshadows it. The only reason it could be picked out is the fact that it looks it's been stained a different color and it's not been etched in or anything._ _If this is the inn and café, I wonder what the other door's sign says…_

Ignoring of what he thought was a lack of good marketing, Ren opened the door with his somewhat free hand to enter the inn/café. Inside, he was greeted to a quaint yet inviting sight due to its oddly familiar vibe that touched him. Besides a rectangular rug that Ren's feet touched upon entering the room, the first floor was covered in fine wooden planks that looked immaculate in its cleanliness. Two wooden tables with four similar chairs were placed in the bottom left corner of the inn/café, while another longer table that seated six was on the opposite corner just below a table that curled inwards with plush-backed seating against the wall to go along with two wooden chairs. That table could probably sit five at most. Not quite at the end of the first floor was a reception desk with sets of keys behind a glass case that had a keyhole in front of the case. The case that lodged the keys served as part of the back of the reception desk, apparently for easy access to whoever was running the reception. To the left of the reception desk, which stood about halfway between the wall and the divider to the other premises, was a burgundy-laden carpeted staircase with wooden handrails. At the top of the staircase, there was rooms at the back and a left turn off the staircase. With that being the case, a wooden bannister was also present on the second floor.

_I see tables, but where is the café? I can tell there's an inn, and I see random tables, but where would food be produced?_

Ren's eyes were drawn to the right at that point due to the clinking of glasses by a woman with very short black hair. That was all he could make out of her appearance, though, as she had disappeared from his sight. The divider, while jutting out slightly from the building on the outside, was actually an archway that separated the inn and its tables from what appeared to be a bar. It also served as a good impediment of Ren's vision to two small wooden tables that held two people each that were placed right beside of the right door. One table stood by each side of the door.

The bar itself was an immaculate piece of polished, finished wood with five stools lining the opposite side. Behind the bar were not only various liquors, but also other pots and what looked like equipment that had nothing to do with the consumption of alcohol. It had more to do with the creation of food. Though it would make sense as bars serve food, some of the equipment seemed to be a little fanciful for bar food. It looked like the back of the bar was also the kitchen, and that food ordered for the inn/café was made at the bar and served across the divider.

Though Ren was not able to make out everything inside on the opposite side of the building, the inn side's first floor was adorned with beautiful paintings. They drew out feelings of longing inside, one in particular as he stepped forward to take a better look at the painting of a young woman holding a baby swaddled in red cloth.

"You finally stopped blocking the doorway," a familiar blunt voice from behind Ren called out.

Ren did not turn around, but took another step forward to give Sojiro room to get inside the building. Sojiro continued, "Do you like those paintings?"

"This one…," Ren motioned to the painting of the woman. "I can't quite put forth how I feel about them. Just that they're really pretty."

Sojiro made an indiscrete noise and explained, "All of the paintings in this building were painted by the mother of one of the current residents."

"That's impressive," Ren replied. "She must be talented."

Sojiro pursed his lips and said, "She passed about… twelve, thirteen years ago, now."

_Jeez…_

The slightly beyond middle-aged man now stepped past Ren and pulled out a key from his pocket as he moved to the reception desk. Sojiro opened up the case and from it, took out the bottom left most key from three rows. It was only the third key that had been removed. Sojiro walked back to Ren and handed the key over.

"Your room for tonight is 209," Sojiro explained. "Breakfast will be at 6:30 a.m., so if you're still sleeping, you don't eat."

_I'd rather sleep._

"I understand," Ren pushed that stray thought aside.

He did feel a little tired, as a lot of long aimless car rides generally did. With that in mind, he ambled his way to the staircase and slowly made his way up to the second floor. The room straight across from the stairs was 201, so he made a turn to the left since it appeared that room 209 would be the last room if he went in that direction. Futilely, he made a mindless check of his phone, and as he thought, there was no reception on the device.

_What place are we in where there is no cell phone reception? Maybe they sent me to one of those tech purge places._

Ren was so focused on his phone, and the fact he would not be able to use it at that location, that he did not notice the orange and black blur that mindlessly rammed into him. Ren stumbled and then nearly tumbled to the floor, catching himself from falling on his rear with his right arm at the last second. Luckily, his toiletries bag was zipped shut, and he had not lost hold of the clothes he was going to wear tomorrow. The one object that did to appear to have slipped out of his grasp was the phone he had been holding before he was run into. He gathered his bearings and first looked down to see if he dropped it nearby. When Ren could not see it on the floor, he looked straight up to see the phone being held by another person.

_Who is that!? And why does she have my phone!?_

The person that was holding Ren's phone, tapping away at the screen, was one of the shortest teenage girls the frizzy-haired boy had ever seen. A girl with large black glasses, she had long orange hair that stretched past her waist down to very short black shorts. She had a green winter coat on of all things, fur on the hood and everything, but her spindly arms were not inside the coat. She was also wearing a white shirt that did not cover her shoulders or even reach anywhere near that height. Underneath her white shirt was a black top that still did not touch the shoulders, but at least reached her neck. The only other piece of detachable clothing was a set of black headphones with red coverings that were attached to no actual playable electronic.

_This girl has my phone._

The girl looked so completely engrossed in his phone, no matter its capability, that she did not even notice the original owner of the phone calling out in a stern but quiet voice, "Excuse me…?"

Unabated by Ren's words, the girl said aimlessly, "Still no reception… when are they going to put in a tower?" The girl continued to play with the phone even with her comment.

Since he was being ignored, Ren decided to take a step forward and tower over the girl. With a good amount of height above her, he lowered his head slightly towards her and repeated the same statement as before. The young girl slowly raised her head from the screen, her eyes and glasses locking with Ren's own much smaller frames. The look on her face went from ecstatic to something akin of shock and fright. She dropped the phone back into Ren's hands, and then ran past him to one of the other rooms. A few seconds later, her room door opened and closed abruptly.

_Too weird… at least she was a little sister kind of cute._

Putting the petite girl into the back of her mind, Ren gathered himself and headed to his room. He shifted his key around in his hand and inserted it into the lock. A turn of the key and then a turn of the handle by Ren gave him his first view of his lodgings.

The sight that befell him in this room and a half was a rustic and charming affair. The double bed against the side wall was covered in a dark-colored cover with barely discernible ribbon-like affair along the edges. There was no television or anything similar in the room. However, the green walls were adorned with crown molding and above the headboard was a painting that Ren could only assume was painted by the same woman who had painted the ones on the first floor. There was an end table that was topped by an out-of-date clock that was meant to be use as an alarm, as well as a small houseplant.

Straight to the right of Ren, away from the bed and table, was the side room that above linoleum contained a simple wash basin, tub, and toilet for any reasons he might need to use them for.

That aside, Ren dropped his extra clothes off next to the bed while keeping his hand on the bag that held his toiletries. He went inside and ran the bathwater while simultaneously started other tasks for the evening. When the water was of a suitable temperature, he entered and began to lose himself in thoughts.

_If this is the inn and bar, I wonder what the rest of Yongen is like… I still don't know why they need a single farmer for a small farm. I understand having multiple employees for big farms, but automation does most of the work in those places. This farm has to either be small or really dilapidated. Maybe it's both small and dilapidated?_

Thoughts such as this continued to roll through Ren's head as he finished his bath. He then stepped out of the tub and dried himself off before proceeding to changing into what could be considered nighttime clothing, a looser shirt and gray sweats. He went back to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth before heading off to bed.

Right before he pulled back the covers, he went to the single window and cracked it slightly. The refreshing and calming air was something that not even his middle-sized town did not have. A deep breath brought in a feeling of nature.

_The air feels pure, practically untouched by pollution and industrialization. I guess… it starts… tomorrow. Whatever it… is._

Ren could not put off sleep forever, though. He left the window open, just barely, and pulled back the dark-colored covers. Though he did not feel that tired as he slipped into bed, he fell asleep almost the instant his head touched one of the fluffy pillows. What seemed like moments later, was a sharp rapping at the door.

_Wha…_

Ren could not form a coherent response in his half-asleep state, but it had to be rather early for him to feel this tired. The sun was still refusing to completely show itself as the moon was still being its stubborn self. It felt like he was getting up for a project he had not yet finished until the day it was due, or a test he had not started studying for until the day of. He could not find the energy to roll himself out of bed, only complying when the rapping on the door continued for a second time.

Ren shut his eyes as hard as he could for a moment, blinked twice, and then responded to the person who was knocking on the door, "I'll be there in a minute."

There was no verbal response, but the knocking on the door ceased immediately. With that, Ren pushed himself up and off the bed and hurriedly threw himself into the bathroom to wash his face and take care of other needs. Once finished, he quickly changed out of the pants and shirt he had been wearing for the night and put on a different shirt and the overalls his dad had given him.

_These really aren't a great fit._

Looking decent enough to be seen in public, at least where no one would arrest him for indecency, Ren headed to the door which had been the victim of all the knuckle-rapping. He slowly grabbed the handle and opened the door.

_It better not be the girl who bumped into me yesterday._

"Hello…?," Ren said as he opens the door to reveal who had been knocking on the door.

The person who stood in front of Ren was not the girl he had bumped into last night, nor was it Sojiro. It was a slightly portly man, balding, yet wearing an immaculate gray suit and fine dress shoes. His clothing and demeanor seemed even more dignified than Sojiro. It most likely had to do with charisma. He had a closed smile on his face at the sight of Ren's appearance. Locking eyes with Ren, the portly man said to Ren, "I'm glad you came to the door. I was about ready to stop after the fourth try."

_Fourth? Were there two tries where I did not even stir?_

Ren agreed, "I appreciate you waiting for me." He continued. "Excuse me, but I am afraid I do not know who you are. The only person I know here at this town is Sojiro."

The other man nodded, "Ahh… my apologies. You can call me Toranosuke… or Tora as most do in this town."

"Tora. Okay, I got it," Ren repeated. "If I may, why are you the one who came to get me? I thought it would be Sojiro if someone was going to wake me up early for breakfast."

Tora answered his question, "Well, you didn't exactly oversleep. It's just you have a busy day ahead of you, and we need to get things done." Before Ren could question him. "We can eat breakfast on the go and then start with the first task."

"Breakfast on the go? What task?" Ren gave a confused look.

"We need to introduce you to the townsfolk and show you around the town," Tora told Ren.

_Makes sense, sort of…_

Looking straight at Ren, Tora continued, "How better to learn how to have symbiotic partnerships with the other townspeople than to meet them?"

"I understand," Ren gave a short nod.

Tora's smile doubled down. He did look impressive in his suit as he told Ren, "Well, let's grab something you can eat on-the-go and get started."

_I guess if it wasn't real before, it's real now. We can't get away from where I am and where we are going._

* * *

**Next Chapter- Chapter 2: A Cast of Characters**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A Cast of Characters**

_I'm busy as always, so I cannot say when everything will be finished. Also, we'll see how accurate things are (must remember what grows when). Mainly, I keep forgetting peoples' names (i.e…. the counselor's first name, so I am calling him Maruki)._

_Ren's thoughts_

* * *

_**2**__**nd**__** of April/Spring**_

Only a day ago, Ren had found himself hastily rushed into packing whatever he could fit into a large cardboard box to live in a place that apparently had forgotten to enter the Information Age. It was also a place where he would supposedly complete his probationary period from his faulty assault charge by farming or something, according to the man in the fancy white suit oozing suave who picked him up. Now, he was following another man in an even more regal gray suit that was supposed to give him a tour of both the town and farm he was going to be living in. The only thing was rather unbelievable, and would most likely become even more unbelievable.

_As if staying in a foreign bed after being driven here by that guy in a pimp daddy suit and being woken up by this guy wasn't enough to convince me…_

Ren would have questioned the gray-suited man's intentions, if he really had a choice, but he was dumb enough to travel here without question in the first place. So, he decided to ask another random question to the well-dressed man named Toranosuke, "Excuse me, Tora? If we're heading out in a rush to take this tour, enough of a rush that I'm eating on-the-go. What should I do about the clothes and things in my room?"

_I didn't expect to not have a chance to come back to the inn after breakfast. Sojiro made it sound like I'd be eating at the table. Maybe I'll get to come back to the room after the tour?_

Tora answered Ren's question as they turned the corner to head downstairs, "I was told that someone would take care of that for you. They would collect your possessions and deliver them to your residence before we finish our tour."

_I hope it's not that girl. She'd probably steal my phone again._

The two of them made their way down to the first floor of the inn where they were greeted with a vacant lot, at least at the inn portion. The half that contained the inn and café was completely empty except for Tora and Ren. The one person that Ren though might be present was Sojiro, but he was also nowhere to be seen.

When Ren questioned Tora on Sojiro's whereabouts, Tora responded, "There are a few places on where he could be, but most likely he's in the kitchen making your breakfast." He gestured over towards the divider and to the bar "I'm guessing he's back there."

_He's also the cook, then…_

"I guess it'll be okay if I go into the bar even if I'm underage," Ren said. "This is just a tour."

There was no objection from Tora as he passed through the divider. Though Ren was originally going to go straight to the long well-polished wooden table that was the actual bar to find Sojiro. His eyes were drawn to something else. It was the voice that came from one of the tables that were placed by the doorway of the bar. It rang out, "You've spent the whole day and night drinking here. You should get back home."

The voice was from a person he could not see very well since they were turned away from Ren. All he knew was that they were wearing a large dark-colored yukata with a yellow sash and had short purple hair that seemed unnaturally colored.

"I can do what I want," another voice came from behind the first voice. "If I want to drink, then I can drink." The voice increased in volume. "Now, get me another drink…"

Ren turned to Tora, and before Ren could even ask about the two, Tora cleared his throat and started to explain, "The person in the yukata is our bartender, Lala."

Upon hearing Tora's voice, the large person in the yukata turned around to face him. Ren was not quite sure, but it looked like a man wearing the yukata. However, there was always a chance he could be mistaken.

_Is the bartender in drag? If that's what they want, then whatever…_

The person known as Lala, having turned away from the one asking for a drink, completely focused on Tora and Ren, "Is this our new farmer, Tora?" When Tora affirmed Lala's inquisition, Lala looked Ren up and down. "Looks fit, but he does seem a little skinny for farming."

_Obviously… Do I look like a farmer?_

Tora gave out a light chuckle, "I'm sure he'll grow into it soon enough."

"If that's the case, we expect great results," Lala said before continuing. "Don't be shy about coming into here. We serve more than alcohol." The bartender motioned towards the other person who being shooed only moments ago. "You won't have to end up like her, drinking her sorrows away." The other person appeared to be a woman in her early twenties with short black hair, sporting blue pants and a black t-shirt.

Ren gave Tora an inquisitive look before looking at the bartender, who explained, "Her name is Ohya. She's a writer for a magazine who was sent here looking for a scoop on the locals."

Tora continued the story for Lala, "Apparently, she didn't want to be sent here. She was pushed off her regular beat and was sent here because of something to do with the higher-ups. She was already uninterested in this place, and apparently every time she puts out an article about this place, they just reject it or have her write something else. So, it's a never-ending cycle."

"After a while, she just kind of gave up and spends all of her free time here," Lala finished. "I do my best to keep her safe, but I think she would never leave unless someone coerced her to."

Ren decided it would be best not to introduce himself to Ohya at that moment. She seemed to be in a sour mood, even if it appeared to be that she was in a sour mood quite often, at least according to Lala and Tora. It was a moot point, regardless, because at that moment Sojiro came from behind the actual bar carrying two objects, one in each hand. One was a drink cup, and the other looked like a burrito of some sort, with eighty to ninety percent wrapped in paper and napkin.

_The drink is probably coffee, but a burrito? Is there egg in it or potatoes? That's weird…_

Sojiro continued to walk toward Ren and then before handing over what seemed to constitute breakfast said to him, "I heard Tora had to all but drag you out of bed this morning."

_It's not like he broke into my room._

"I guess I wasn't used to waking up around… I don't know 5 a.m. or whatever time it is," Ren admitted.

Sojiro shook his head and handed over the drink and burrito-like object over to him, "Now listen here… if you're going to be a farmer, you have to be ready to start the day before the world knows the day has started."

_Well, no one really told me I was going to be a farmer until yesterday…_

Ren could do nothing but accept the criticism. He took the breakfast items from Sojiro. Immediately, the smell of coffee inundated his nostrils. It was quite a pleasant smell that Ren eagerly indulged with a small sip that filled his mouth with a bitter yet flavorful taste. However, he would need a lot of this every single day if he was expected to be up this early every day.

_This is good coffee._

"This is good coffee," Ren said, earning a slight affirmation from Sojiro, like it was expected to be that good.

After the liquid had finished coating his esophagus, Ren decided to take a bite of the burrito. When he bit into it, instead of finding egg, potatoes, or even cheese inside the breakfast pocket; he found himself tasting rice, meat, and a sauce he could not quite put his finger on.

_What the heck is this?_

Ren looked down at his burrito concoction that Sojiro had made him. The taste combined with the look of the inside of whatever this was made it clear of what Sojiro had put inside his-supposed breakfast.

_Why… why is there curry in my burrito? I thought this was breakfast!?_

Ren gave Sojiro a look and asked him, "Curry?"

Sojiro responded nonchalantly, "And? What about it?"

"Never mind…," Ren shook his head. He was not going to question it. Maybe it was a regional thing, considering how long he and Sojiro were driving yesterday, or maybe it was just something this guy specialized in. The curry burrito actually did not taste that bad, but it was still incredibly awkward to have that taste after a sip of coffee.

Ignoring the weird mix of flavors and Sojiro, Ren turned his attention back to the man in the gray suit, Tora, and asked, "Where do we start on this tour?"

Tora thought for a second before he said, "Well, we have a few choices, but we should probably start with the public service buildings and the festival square."

Ren shrugged, "I'll leave it to you, then."

Tora proceeded to walk past him to the front door on the left half of the large building. He held it open so Ren could get through while holding an object in each hand. The frizzy-haired boy thanked him as he walked outside.

The air was not too hot, not too cold… it was relaxingly fresh compared to what he would have experienced in his hometown, which has suffered its own amount of overdrawn commercialization and general pollution from development post-WWII. Even the walk from the lone parking lot he had barely paid attention to on his and Sojiro's drive here to the main road was soothing enough because a fresh light breeze that brushed against his face.

Ren let Tora take the lead as the older gray-suited man turned right from the entrance of the parking to what could be considered the main road of the town. As the pair left the inn behind, the older well-dressed man half turned his head towards Ren and said, "We're taking a right until we can take a right again."

Ren acknowledged with a nod. The main road was slightly more well-defined and well-kept than the rest of the roads or paths in the town, or so it seemed. The upcoming turn-off to the right, just past a turn-off to the left, was more defined than the turn to the left, but not as clean and not something he would want to put a car on. As he neared the turn off, it would definitely not be a place for a fancy car, though maybe a wagon or a buggy. It also seemed to slightly elevate after about a hundred meters.

_This place seems like it's from the past in some regards._

The particular turn off led him to a large heavily-packed dirt terraced square for lack of a better term. It was a large circular area with the intake at one end and stairs at the opposite that would bring them to the terraced-areas that covered about 90 degrees for two more levels. Though the circular field lay empty, the edges of the first layer that were parallel with the terraces were cordoned off with thin rope. There was also rope lining the second floor and third floor along the dirt layers of the terraces.

_I guess this is the "square"._

"I guess it's not really a square," Ren said as they walked up to the circular area which represented the square. He continued. "You mentioned briefly there are festivals that are held here?"

Tora nodded in response, "Everything from Harvest Festivals to Cooking Festivals to Livestock Festivals… there are also more light-hearted ones as well, like the festival where we choose our annual Harvest Goddess."

_It is a farming village, after all. Though, there does not seem to be a lot of farmers around. Maybe the festival regarding crops and livestock brings in farmers from outside the town?_

"This area does serve another purpose," Tora cut through Ren's thoughts, causing the fluffy-haired young man to focus on him. "There are markets where supplies, livestock, and other services like the smithy that are not normally sold are made available. Not every supplier who attends the market is available every market day, though there are shops who never set up at the market that are available every day."

_That's good to know._

"I'm guessing not everything fits on this level, so the town uses the second and third levels," Ren made what he thought was an obvious observation. When Tora gave an affirmation, Ren continued. "I'm guessing that the festivals and markets bring in people from outside Yongen."

Tora again affirmed the hypothesis, "That is usually the case. We see people who are not locals from time to time, but not many visitors from far away recently." He added almost jokingly. "You're probably the person to have traveled the farthest to visit in a while."

_I don't doubt it…_

After confirming a few things with Tora about the dates of market and that the only way he would know of when things would be available would either be through trial and error or speaking with all the suppliers, Ren turned back with the well-dressed man to head back away from the market/festival area to get back on the main road. He took another right with Tora to get back onto the main road and then after walking for another short period of time, took a right to reach the area that Tora said supplied all the public services.

The road's quality barely slipped in comparison to the occasional off-shoot from this public services area, especially looking straight ahead at two buildings that dwarfed the other buildings around it. One of the buildings was a large two-story home with a side one-story attachment made of a much nice material than any other building he had seen so far, including the ones in the off-shoots in the public services area. The home was built of stone and siding with tiled roofing, with the attachment of similar quality. It held a sort of radiance that was only matched by the building next to it.

The other building to the left of the home along the straight path was a large stone building lined with pillars of the same material lining and supporting the front on either side. It all led to the center archway and a massive doorway. It seemed almost as imposing as the home, but it had a sort of evil vibe to it.

_It actually seems creepy…_

Ren looked to Tora and was about to ask about the two buildings when Tora started the explanation himself. Tora took a breath and said, "I guess I'll start with the building to the left of the home." He gestured towards the arched structure and said. "Normally, and in most cases, I would prefer you to go in, or at least meet the people who live or work there. In regards to that place, it is a place that I hope you do not need to enter."

"And why is that?" Ren questioned.

Tora said simply, "It says it's a bank, but to say it's a bank is just a front. It is not a place to keep your money."

_If it's a bank, then why wouldn't I keep my money there?_

"It's a place solely there to help those who are in need of money," Tora continued. "Those who are in need of money are expected to pay it back, but the rates at which they are expected to pay it back at are most likely…" Tora trailed off in a quiet tone. "The owners said when they first came in that we would be given fair rates compared to anyone else, but I do not believe anyone has taken them up on that offer."

_Exorbitant interest rates?_

"I didn't know you had that kind of problem in such a small residential area," Ren kept his voice quieter than usual.

"The financiers are not from this town, but I would say no one in this town is gullible or desperate enough to use it. Though, a place this far away from a big city is a good cover…," Tora explained. "However, no one here, say one person in the town, could strong-arm them out of this place."

_One person? Wait… if they don't get any tourists then who is their market? And if they're doing wire transactions… whatever… _

"Who would that be?" Ren kept his voice somewhat low.

Tora gestured towards the large home, "The person who lives in the main building. I would say they have a sort of working relationship."

_Oh… Hmm…_

"You'll meet the person eventually, so let's see if he's home," Tora made another gesture towards the house next to the pseudo-bank. With that statement, the middle-aged man headed up the road towards the fanciful home.

Ren followed Tora, though Tora did not head to the main building and its thick wooden door. Tora instead went to the smaller one-story attachment that still had the same air of authority emanating from it, if not quite as strong. Tora walked to the smaller building's front door and rapped twice, in the middle, slightly above the handle. About ten seconds later, the door opened halfway.

The person who answered the door was a young man around Ren's age if not slightly older. He was clad in a gray suit, slightly lighter than Tora's. He could be considered somewhat handsome with short light brown hair with bangs partially parted to one side. From behind him, Ren could see a modestly but neatly-furnished home with all the necessary amenities to live a normal life. There were also amenities that were missing in the hotel room he had previously stayed at just last night.

Seeing Tora and Ren standing in front of him, the well-dressed young man stepped slightly out of his home. It caused the front door to close slightly behind him, but not before Ren noticed that there was no connecting door between this attachment and the main home. There was a smile on the brown-haired boy as he asked cheerfully, "Toranosuke… how can I help you today?" Looking to the right of Tora. "Ahh… our newest resident is here as well…"

Tora nodded and explained to Ren, somewhat ignoring the suit-wearing young man, "Ren… let me introduce you to Goro, the assistant to the mayor." He then turned to Goro. "Goro, is Shido available? I'm having Ren meet everyone before he really starts working and living here."

The boy named Goro thought to himself for a second and then answered in an explanatory tone while gesturing over to the larger half of the home, "I'm afraid he is busy at the moment. He has a meeting, taking a phone call he just can't miss."

With a sigh, Tora said, "I guess you'll meet him soon enough, Ren. He'll be around town."

_That makes sense, but I wonder if Tora was talking about Shido being the one who was capable about getting rid of those "bankers"?_

Tora started to turn and walk away from the mayor's house. Before Ren could follow, Goro interrupted, "So, you're the new farmer." When Ren affirmed the comment, Goro said. "I always felt I had a bit of a green thumb myself, but I guess you'll be the one propping the town up."

"I'll try," Ren shrugged slightly. "I haven't done a lot of farm work in my life."

Goro's smile vanished immediately, "We have great faith in you… that means the town. Don't disappoint."

_Creepy… Is Shido like that, too?_

He brushed off those thoughts and followed Tora away from the mayor's home. Entrancing as the "bank" and mayor and his assistant's home were, Ren was finally able to focus when he focused back to the other buildings lining the street that they had turned off to when he was facing the other direction.

The building closest to the mayor's, on the left heading back to the main road, on the right heading towards the mayor's home, was a small and modest one-story home made of mostly wood, and a few windows. There was also far less landscaping than at the mayor's. A small wooden chest did stand slightly left of a red mailbox. When Ren inquired about the resident, Tora waved him off, "I'm afraid you won't need to meet this person, or visit them either."

_Huh? Why are we taking this tour then?_

"And why is that?" Ren probed slightly.

"That would be because it is my home," Tora explained.

Ren replied, "I would say that's important. What if I need to ask you something while you're at your home?"

"You're right," Tora admitted. "Obviously, I'll be home as some point pretty much every single day. I'm only at my house in the very early morning where I'll be asleep or making breakfast, or in the evening where I'm making dinner or sleeping."

_I guess he means he won't really want to be bothered at those times, then._

"I usually eat lunch at the inn's restaurant or the bar, otherwise I'll be all around town all day," Tora finished explaining. "My duties… well, I'll explain more about that later."

"Okay then," Ren said, taking all of the availability information in.

Next to the building that was identified as Tora's home was another set of two buildings that were not exactly similar in shape or size, but somewhat similar in the material makeup. The one closer to Tora's was a small stone building that was obviously a church. It lacked a defined architecture except for the arch that led to the massive wooden doorway. The other was a similar building, at least materially-speaking, that stretched not quite as far back as the church with a smaller second level that did not extend to the front of the building. It looked kind of like of a house, but it could be anything. With this being the district with service buildings and all, it could be anything.

_Then again… Tora's home is here. He probably provides something that he'll explain later._

Ren followed Tora to the church, pushing idle thoughts away. He took only a moment to climb the three stone steps to pass through the right door that the grey-suited man had opened for him. After giving him slight thanks, Ren got his first view of the inside of the place of worship. It looked like a pretty generic Christian place of worship with a carpet that stretched from just by the doorway to just in front of a basic altar, which was raised by two steps. There were two lines of wooden pews that started just in front of the entrance and again stopped short of the altar. On either side, arched glass windows lined the walls. They were not as impressive as if they were stained glass, but they still gave a good ambiance and lighting in general.

Only one man appeared to be in the church at the moment, besides Ren and his temporary tour guide. It was a rather handsome young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had short, ragged black hair and was wearing thick black-rimmed glasses that almost matched Ren's. He was clothed not in the typical vestments of a priest or other person who worked at a church. Instead, he was clothed in pants, shirt, and a long white coat that could easily be mistaken for a doctor. What he was doing inside what in all intent in purposes was a church, outside of possibly worshipping, Ren had no idea.

The decently handsome man clothed in what appeared to be doctor's clothing noticed the pair and walked up from where he stood near the altar to the two at the entrance. He stopped in front of Tora and Ren, looked over to Tora and said, "Ahh… you said we were getting another resident to our town today. If I was correct, he was take over that overrun farm of ours."

Tora nodded in affirmation and then looked to Ren, "I'd like you to meet Maruki. He's not really a priest, per say, but he does all of the official ceremonies in our town."

_If he's not a priest in this town, do they count? I mean you could at least go to a city council building or something to a wedding or birth certificate certified._

"He's also the person the townspeople go to for counsel, of to whom they go to resolve differences with each other," Tora interrupted Ren's thoughts.

_I guess that sort of explains the doctor's coat a little better. You could say he's more of a psychologist or psychiatrist than a priest who's there for confession._

"It's nice to meet you," Ren expressed the typical formalities.

Maruki nodded, "These doors are always open to you."

"I appreciate the offer," Ren gave a slight nod and exchanged a few more formalities with Maruki before leaving the church with the priest who was not really a priest with a small wave.

As they walked down the steps, Ren looked over to Tora, "So, the building next to us, then?"

"Alright," Tora nodded. He then added. "I should let you know that the person who lives there is a little eccentric in their work."

_This looks like a home._

"This looks like a home," Ren voiced his thoughts.

"Most businesses have a second level or similar for the employee or such to live in the place of work," Tora explained. "It's far more efficient."

_Makes sense._

With that though in mind, Ren walked slightly ahead of Tora to see that the wooden door of the slightly stone building carried a carved heart in the middle just above the handle.

_It's either a doctor's office or a love hotel. Personally, I'd rather be number one… well, I guess in most cases._

Tora pulled even and then ahead of Ren to pull open the door, which caused a small bell to chime in the process. From what could see, it was most definitely a doctor's office. The front area of the building was definitely well-lit with floor and ceiling lamps. Sitting on top of metallic-like floors and against the left side wall was a metal filing cabinet. The cabinet provided cover for what Ren assumed were patient files. On the far right wall was a carpeted staircase with a single wooden bannister that Ren assumed led to the upstairs, but just to the left of that was a desk that faced towards the door, behind the desk was a set of curtains that blocked off the light. It was definitely for privacy reasons, but Ren could not tell how many beds it held.

The interior was nowhere the most noticeable thing of the building. The most noticeable thing in the office was the person sitting at the desk. It was a somewhat pretty young woman in her mid to late-twenties with short black hair, but she seemed out of place for a place like this. The long doctor's coat covered a tight fitting short forest green dress. Her neck was adorned with a spiked black choker and that was covered with a silver amulet with an undefined jewel inside. She was wearing high black platform shoes that were covered in straps well past her ankles.

_Another doctor? Or is this a priest, too? Well, this girl certainly isn't dressed like a doctor or a priest._

The woman's gaze went straight to Tora, completely ignoring Ren. With him in her sights, she pushed back her chair, stood up, and took a few steps towards the suit-wearing man. She stopped a few steps away, and again completely ignored Ren to question his tour guide for the day, "So, what's wrong? Are you feeling feverish? Have you eaten anything recently to make you feel queasy?"

_Okay… so it does sound like an actual doctor…_

Tora waved the woman off. He rebuked her worries, "No, no… I'm just here to introduce you to the new resident of our town." He gestured towards Ren. "Remember, we announced it a couple days ago."

The woman's eyes widened slightly at first at being told that there was nothing wrong, but then slight annoyance appeared on her face at the reminder that she had forgotten about the new resident. She stated as such, "Oh… and? Is he sick?"

Tora shook his head, "I just wanted him to meet everyone in this town before he gets down to business." He motioned to Ren and explained. "Ren, this is Takemi, and she is our doctor. If you get sick or injured, you should visit this clinic."

"Ren, huh?" Takemi muttered, picking up on Tora's mention of his name. She looked over to Ren and said, "Yeah, if you get sick, come over and I'll treat you." She did not quite smirk for her next statement. "If you pay…"

_If I pay? Do they not associate with the National Health Insurance program along with the rest of the country? I guess not…_

"However, if you are willing to accept a few experiments for your illnesses," Takemi cut in with more of a sly tone. "You might be given some reduced prices on treatment."

_So, if I let my body be experimented on, I won't have to pay for treatments?_

"I'll think about it…," Ren said, trying to sound as non-committal as possible.

"Anyways," Tora tried to change the subject away from the topic of experimenting on townsfolk. "She's generally open for visits every single day, but she doesn't do much in the way of going out to see patients."

Takemi nodded in approval. "I also don't take in patients in the evening unless they're emergencies."

"I understand…," Ren said. The three shared a few more statements, with Ren doing his best to avoid talk about experimentation. After their interesting conversations, Ren shifted his gaze to Tora and said. "I'm sure there are still a lot more people and places to visit and meet."

_I'll have to ask someday how Takemi ended up here. She doesn't seem like someone who would live here willingly. I could always ask Tora, but he may not be as willing to talk about it._

"That's true," Tora agreed. "There's still many places to go."

After leaving Takemi behind, with one more non-committal denial of experimentation, the two left the other stone building on this side of the Service District of the town. With no need to focus on what was now identified as the Mayor's home and the supposed "bank", Ren could look straight ahead from the doctor's office, Tora's home, and the church at two more buildings that made up the Service District.

The building across from the church was a two-story building made of wood, with the majority of it being coated in planks. The first floor bore a few windows on the front side, with the second floor bearing windows to the side on what was currently the left according to Ren's field of view. It would have been windows facing him if he were to be walking up the road to the mayor and his assistant's home. The foundation was slightly abnormal with two sections of the first floor made out of stone instead of wood. The building across from the doctor's office was a more traditional-looking small two-story wooden home. Tora directed Ren towards the larger building across from the church, more as a suggestion. The pair proceeded to cross the road.

On the way over to the larger wooden building, Ren asked in a proactive manner, "What sort of building are we visiting here?"

The man walking next to Ren responded, "It's probably the only other place that I would recommend you would go to if you are feeling overly tired, though not necessarily when sick." He continued. "Before you ask, it's the sauna."

_Sauna? We have a sauna?_

"Seems a little out of place," Ren responded as they stepped up to the front door of the building now identified as the sauna.

"Truth be told," Tora explained as he walked past Ren to open the door of the sauna. "It's probably the most popular place in the whole town outside of the market or a festival." Tora opened the door and looked straight at Ren. "If not for the prices, it would probably out-do the inn and restaurant in sales figures."

_You don't say…_

Ren took Tora's offer and walked into the sauna. He was greeted with a wooden concierge desk on the lower right side of the front of the main room. The only thing farther to the right was a staircase that most likely led to the living quarters of whoever was running the sauna. On the middle to the left side of the sauna, cordoned off from the rest of the main area with walls split off by two separate wooden doors. The doors were separated by a fair distance with a divider that appeared to indicate a separate room, which was more prevalent with a small picture of a generic male over the one to the right and a small picture of a generic female over the door to the left. There was also a general warmth about the building, warmer than what the outside felt like.

Unlike at the doctor's office, there was no one manning the concierge desk for the sauna, giving the impression it was not quite open. It was still rather early in the morning, but there was still no one on the first floor considering Tora could walk straight into the building with no interference.

With the lack of a physical presence on the first floor, Tora took the initiative to call out towards the staircase, "Ms. Kawakami! Are you awake?"

There was a short silence followed by a female voice from above, "Tora! What are you doing here at this time of day? You know we're not open!"

"Well aware," Tora said. "It's not why I'm here."

After another short pause, steps could be heard coming down the staircase as a woman came into Ren's view. It was a middle-aged woman, older than the doctor by a few years, at least by Ren's first assessment. She had somewhat disheveled fluffy brown hair. She was wearing a long blue skirt that reached well past her knees, but it was also somewhat tighter-fitting than a usual skirt. She also wore a long yellow shirt that was patterned with thin horizontal black stripes. The final piece of her outfit was an exasperated look that was directed towards Tora.

Though the woman apparently known as Ms. Kawakami could easily pass for twice Ren's age, he would deny she was still pretty. However, it looked like she had just thrown on clothes at the exact point the suited-man to Ren's right had called up the stairs. Whether or not she had just rolled out of bed, the woman in yellow and blue looked at Tora with slight distress. She sighed as she said, "So, if you aren't here for our business, then that means you're here for a different kind of business." The woman focused on Tora. "That business opportunity is only available in…." Her voice cut off abruptly as her look shifted from Tora to Ren, apparently noticing the new resident for the first time. The distressed look had turned into one of slight embarrassment.

_Uh… was she about to say something that was embarrassing or a secret?_

"Who's he!?" Kawakami's voice finally caught up to the embarrassment and cut in sharply as she focused in on Ren.

Tora shook it off, either ignoring what the information that was originally going to be directed at him. "Today's the first day for our newest resident to start living in Yongen. His name is Ren." He cleared his throat slightly. "I've been taking him around the town to introduce him to the various residents and the sights."

She again sighed and crossed her arms, directing her slightly peeved tone at Tora, "You couldn't have waited until later in the day to come introduce him to us?" She then shook her head. "Of course you wouldn't…" The woman with the yellow shirt finally focused her attention back to Ren, "Okay Ren, my name is… well, everyone just calls me Kawakami, anyways. I run the sauna, but it's not open during the early mornings, late evenings, or Sunday."

_Interesting… I can guess why the early mornings are a no-go._

"I got it," Ren said as plainly as he could.

Kawakami walked close to Tora and whispered to the man in the gray suit, "Didn't you say he was a criminal or something?"

"We all have things out of our control and things we can't take back, isn't that right?" Tora responded.

"If you say so…," Kawakami begrudgingly agreed. She then turned her gaze to Ren, "There's a flat rate to use the sauna, but the general rule is that first couple of times are on the house for new residents. After that, you pay what everyone else does…"

_Well that's nice of her._

"I appreciate the welcoming and offer," Ren gave his thanks.

Kawakami shrugged, "It's the same that would be offered to any new resident of the town."

Kawakami spoke with Tora for a little while longer before Tora turned back to have him and Ren leave the sauna for the time being. As they stepped out of the sauna's entrance and down the stairs, Tora said to Ren, "She's a good person. She used to be a teacher in Tokyo before she moved to this town a little while back."

_Used to be?_

"Sounds like a complicated situation," Ren said as he turned to the right. It was towards the only building in the district he had not visited yet.

Tora nodded in agreement, "It's something you'd ask to ask her about yourself."

_I doubt she'd appreciate if I just went up and asked about why stopped being a teacher all of a sudden on the first or second day here._

Leaving that thought behind, the two walked from the sauna to the final building, the smaller pretty much non-descript two-story wooden building. Without a second glance, it could easily be taken as a home, but Ren was not going to place bets on what its purpose really was. It could be a building meant for housing the Emperor and Empress of Japan for Ren knew. He slowly climbed the single step up to the house, and waited for Tora to follow.

A few seconds later, Tora stepped even with Ren and knocked on the plain door that stood at the wooden two-story building with rectangular windows on either side of the door. A short while later after Tora's knock, the door opened halfway to reveal two women.

The first woman who stood slightly in front of the other could only be considered a very beautiful girl in her early twenties. She had thick very light brown hair bunched off all on one side that reached just past her bust. She was neatly dressed in a black suit with an aura and look of no-nonsense written across her face. The ensemble was finished off by short heels that appeared to be no hindrance to the woman, even if Ren had not yet seen her walk in them.

The other girl, looking closer to Ren's age, had a slightly softer, if still serious, look on her face. Coupling her short darker brown hair that encircled her head in a thicker bowl cut in a short black vest that accompanied by a white long sleeved shirt. Black shoes and long black socks led up to a short black skirt that finished the ensemble.

Both women looked from Tora to Ren, and then back to Tora, seemingly wondering why the gray-suited man had knocked upon their door. The older girl made the first comment to Tora, focusing her dark eyes on him, "Tora, are you here for the reason you and Sojiro discussed with the town earlier in the week?"

_There's someone who actually remembers that I was supposed to arrive here?_

Tora nodded and answered, "Indeed, this is the person the two of us spoke of."

The younger girl that stood slightly behind the older one spoke out in a voice that was not completely sure of herself, "Sis?"

The older girl turned her head back to meet the younger girl's gaze momentarily to respond, "Ahh, yes… I forgot you were not with us during the meeting between the older members of the town." She motioned towards Ren, "This young man here will be taking over the farm that had been abandoned a few years ago for a year."

"I see…," The younger girl started to contemplate the statement. She continued with another question after giving it a short thought. "A period of time? Why would he be taking over the farm if he is only going to be here for such a short period of time?"

"Well… he's here on probation for performing a crime in his hometown," the older girl explained. "The length of time he is here is based on the length of his probation, which is due to the fact he is unable to go back to his school."

_Way to lay it out straightforward to a person my age with no frills. I won't even get to put in the details that helps make me sound better than some dangerous criminal._

Tora interrupted the girl's statement and Ren's thoughts, as abrupt as hers was, with a clearing of his throat, "Okay, as she said, this young man will be staying with us and working on the farm." He directed most of the attention of his words to the younger girl for the first sentence but encompassed both women for the rest, "His name is Ren. Since they have not yet introduced themselves yet, these two ladies are the ones you seek for legal or criminal advice in the town."

_Criminal and legal advice? One of the girls looks like she's my age, if not slightly older. I don't want to hear that she's the police in this town._

The older girl waved Tora off slightly as to dismiss her importance, "I am in charge of all legal representation for the town. My name is Sae." She proceeded to gesture to the girl behind her, "This is my younger sister, Makoto." Makoto gave a short greeting before Sae continued. "I'm sure you'll be fine here, but if there's any issues in adjusting or something more involved, I'll be here to sort them out."

Ren replied, "I appreciate the offer. If I have a problem with something, I'll seek you out."

With only a few more pleasantries shared, Tora and Ren said their farewells to Makoto and Sae. Tora again took the lead to head away as Ren gave a small wave to the two women standing at their door. As Ren left the pair behind and he followed his guide away from their home and away from the service building, he sort of wished he could have spoken to the two of them for a slightly longer period of time. It was not just the de facto judiciaries either that he wished to have spent more time introducing himself to. He would have liked to have spent more time introducing and conversing with others like Takemi, the doctor, or that former teacher, Kawakami. He would have even liked to have spent more time speaking with the leader of the church, even if the guy was obviously not ordained. He probably could have spent some more time explaining his situation better than he had had a chance to. He felt like they had a preconceived notion of him.

_I'm not sure if I really want to talk to the mayor, or talk with Akechi much. That money lender next door sounds like knock-off Yakuza, or a high and mighty Tom Nook. I mean Sae was pretty, and her sister was cute, too. The doctor was pretty, too. Even the scary doctor was pretty… in a punk-ish way. There sure are a lot of girls… and there are more places to see._

Regrets aside, he tossed aside not only any doubts he had for the moment as he left the Service District with Tora, but also any remaining vestiges of the breakfast that Sojiro had prepared for him in the proper receptacle that was placed just near the off-shoot that led back onto the main road. As the pair stepped back onto the main road, Ren suddenly stopped due to his guide suddenly turning 90 degrees and coming to a halt.

_Huh? You should probably warn me the next time you do that._

Tora pointed away from where the entrance of the town and the inn where situated and said, "I guess the only thing of note beyond here that you would reach on the main road would be a lake with a beachfront. For the majority of the locals, it's mostly used during the warmest days of the year for swimming and relaxation. There are even town events held during that time. However, some locals use it for fishing purposes."

_Makes sense…_

"There is one other spring in town, but it's much closer to your farm_,_" Tora finished his statement.

_I guess that means it's later on the tour._

"Well, then where should we head next?" Ren questioned.

Tora turned away from the direction he was pointing, the opposite from the inn, to face Ren. He made a motion towards the two smaller roads that cut in from the other direction from where you would turn off to get to the Market or Service District, or straight across from where the inn stood. One was nearly a straight shot from where the parking area was situated, while the other was closer to being parallel with the turn off to the Market Square.

"The two roads connect to each other at another point," Tora said simply. "More out of convenience than anything else. They both lead to your farm, as well."

_I guess that's also convenient._

"Well, let's just take the road that's closest, then," Ren suggested.

With the suggestion in mind, Ren walked in line with Tora back down the main road until they took another right, due to the two walking the other direction this time. As Ren made the turn onto the smaller road, he noticed the quality and size of the path decreasing compared to the others he had traversed on so far. It was by far the smallest than any of the others. It did not even seem as wide as the one he was going to be traversing after this. That was if his perception was not playing tricks on him, which could completely be the case.

Despite the degradation, he walked a short distance until his eyes glanced upon the first building along this path, which was to his right. It was somewhat visible before the turn, but until he reached the front of the building, it appeared as an ordinary one story home with white siding that was eclipsed by brown roofing. The front and back of the home, however, appeared to be made of brick and between the two windows was a cherry wood door. The brick layout were not the most eye catching details by far in Ren's eyes. It was how the landscaping was by far the most luxurious and well-kept of any other home or building he had seen so far. Flowers dotted the grounds in front of the area. There were even flowers lining the lattice that covered a small part of the brick section of the home.

_This has to be a matron or a flower shop. Some old lady's house._

As Tora walked up and past him, he said in passing, "I think she's open by now, or at least done with breakfast. I guess she finished watering her flowers early today."

_Well, at least we know it's a she…_

Ren followed closely behind the older gentleman as he opened the door to the home or shop, whatever it might be. His inkling that it might be a shop was compounded as a bell rang as Tora went through the door. As he stepped through the door Ren was greeted by another sight of confirmation that this was indeed a store, but not only just a flower store. Three-fourths of what was visible at first glance in the middle of the store stood a medium-sized and length wooden counter with a register and a small bell on the far left side to get a clerk's attention. Behind the counter was an open-faced tiered cabinet that held not just flower seeds, but appeared to hold seeds for fruits and vegetables. A bit off to the left, not blocking the counter, was a bookcase that held books on growing and maintaining crops. Along the walls in general was planks made of wood with flowery wallpaper just below the ceiling. Past the counter, just to the right of the unit that held the rows of seeds, was a door that most likely was where the housing section of the shop was.

Tora went straight to the counter. He neglected to ring the bell, most likely due to the ring of the bell above the door being enough of a notice for someone that he believed that there was no need to ring the bell at the counter. Instead, he just waited at the middle of the counter for someone to emerge from the door right by that same counter. Ren waited closer to the front door, instead, just to not seem as imposing.

Just as Tora expected, a very short time after he had reached the counter, the back door opened, to which Ren briefly spotted a sink with a couple dishes placed inside next to an oven and fridge. From the door, to Ren's surprise, emerged a girl that looked just about his age. If Ren could describe her concisely, it would be… extremely cute. Her light colored eyes were complimented with short fluffy curly strawberry blond hair. She wore clothes that could almost be considered too warm for the weather, but they fit her naturally. Forgoing socks and underneath her short dark-colored skirt were long white stockings, and a long-sleeved white shirt was covered by a thick pink sweater that had no sleeves.

_That sweater looks really soft and comfy._

The girl appeared slightly surprised, not by the sight of Tora, but at the sight of Ren standing near the front door. She called out to the two in a small, diminutive voice, "Hello, can I help you?" After a short pause, she added. "I'm sorry… I wasn't expecting any customers this early in the day."

Tora shook his head, "No, no… we're not here as customers." He continued. "I'm actually here to introduce our new member to this town." As he finished his statement, Tora made a slight gesture towards Ren. In response, Ren stepped forwards slightly, and Tora began again. "This is Ren, and he'll be working on the old farm starting… well, probably tomorrow."

The girl again seemed slightly taken aback, and Ren was not quite sure if she had been informed of his impending arrival, just like Sae's sister. Her composure, however, was quickly regained, albeit slightly as she said, "Oh… you're going to be working on the farm?" As Ren nodded in affirmation, the girl continued from what was actually somewhat of a rhetorical question to say in the same soft and kind tone. "My name is Haru, and I run the Flower and Garden Shop. We mainly sell seasonal flower and crop seeds, but we sell slightly more exotic ones during days when the Market is being held. If you have questions about plants, I can help you out."

"I think I'll need to take you up on that," Ren said lightly. "I'm kind of new to this."

"Haru here actually moved to this town from Tokyo about two years ago herself," Tora interjected into Ren and Haru's introduction.

Haru's face fell slightly from what Tora had said, "That's right. I did."

_Sounds like a touchy subject…_

Ren decided to close up the conversation to move away from whatever Tora could bring up, or what Ren might accidently say. He smiled slightly and said, "I'll definitely come here for all my gardening needs, Haru." This got a small smile out of the fluffy-haired girl.

Ren was going to try and have that be the end of the conversation, but Tora again cut into the conversation, "Haru, do you think can help Ren out with something?"

"Hmm?" Haru gave Tora an inquisitive look.

Tora asked the girl, "Since Ren is going to start working on the farm tomorrow, I was wondering if you could help him out with a small bag of seeds? It's so he could have an idea of what to work with."

Haru thought about it for only a second as she turned back and grabbed two small bags of seeds from opposite sides of the first shelf of the unit. She walked past the older man and walked over to Ren. She held out her right hand that contained the bags and Ren took them with his own right. As she handed them over, she explained, "One bag are for turnips, which is a Spring crop, and the other is a Spring flower called a Toy Flower."

_Toy Flower? What's a Toy Flower?_

Regardless of his confusion, Ren nodded in appreciation, "Thanks."

Haru gave a small smile in return.

The three said their goodbyes before the two men left the shop. With the bags still in Ren's hand, he turned his gaze again to the right to another building along the street. He proceeded to head in the direction of the building that was only somewhat visible turning in from the main road, only getting either a partial back or side view when coming back from the Service District or Market. This other building was nowhere as well-decorated as Haru's shop, considering none of the other buildings or shops had the landscaping that hers did. However, the home was larger than Haru's shop, with siding and brick overlay in front and back. The tiling on the roof was a slightly darker color than Haru's as well.

_I'm guessing this is not actually a house either, or only a house._

There was no bell that announced their entrance when Tora walked up a single stone step into the building. Instead what greeted Ren's eyes was not a bedroom or a kitchen, but tile flooring with a wooden ceiling fan in what consisted of the middle of the area that was not cordoned off by a wall and wooden door in the back. Underneath the fan, in the middle of the area was a wooden counter with right angle portions on either side. The register and counter faced the front door. Along the cheerfully colored walls were racks lined with various goods and materials. They appeared to be categorized by purpose, but there was a rack containing basic dried cooking materials, another with basic confections, and even a rack with hooks that held rucksacks.

There were two other things in the room, both of them were far more intriguing, and in Ren's eyes, far better than any cooking materials. At the counter, conversing to each other, were two young women who looked to be right around the same age as the black-haired boy's age.

The first woman that Ren saw had medium-long blond hair drawn back into two loose long ponytails that accentuated her lighter colored than normal eyes. She wore long red socks over brown boots that went up and past her thighs to offset the short black skirt she wore. The girl was also wearing a white sweatshirt with a small insignia on the lower right. The bottom of the sweatshirt was also layered with small red and blue stripes exclusively near the bottom, two blue and one red. Over the sweatshirt was what sort of looked like a school uniform blouse, but it could have just easily have been a very light black jacket.

_She's pretty._

The other woman was slightly more simplistically dressed, but it did not make her less pretty. Her dark brown eyes were accompanied by black hair drawn back into a medium-length ponytail by a small pink band. She wore a slightly longer black skirt with short socks over white shoes. There was, however, a long black brace over one of her legs. It was stretched tight over her knee. She also wore a simplistic white turtleneck. It was a simple yet well-put together ensemble that brought out her natural attractiveness.

_She's pretty, too. Why are all the girls cute?_

With the fact that the two girls were talking to each other and there was a lack of a bell signifying their entrance, the women did not notice Tora and Ren's arrival. For that reason, Tora cleared his throat, "Excuse me ladies…"

At the sound of Tora's voice, both girls shifted their attention to the older gentleman, but it was the girl with black hair who replied inquisitively, "Oh, Tora… what can we help you with?"

Before Tora could answer, however, the other girl focused her attention on Ren and cut in, "Tora, who's this guy?"

"Ann…," Shiho looked over to the blond-haired girl.

"Sorry, sorry…," the girl apparently named Ann shook her head, knowing she had been chided by the black-haired girl.

Tora cleared his throat slightly and then started the explanation of the question, "We're actually here because of this young man, today." He gestured at Ren. "He's taking over the farm and I've been going around with him, introducing him to the various people and places in the town."

"He's taking over the farm?" the blond raised an eyebrow. "Does he know a lot about farming?"

"Ann…" the black-haired girl gave another quick retort.

The girl named Ann shook her head, "Sorry, but does he know how cursed that farm is?"

_Cursed?_

The girl continued, "No one has been able to keep working at the farm for longer than… well, it's not a very long period of time. It's a killer on either your career or whatever you're here for." She was apparently taking into account how old Ren looked and that he did not look like a career farmer.

The other girl cut in, "What Ann means is that the farm is in disrepair because no farmer can stay at the farm for a very long period of time before leaving the town."

Ann nodded, "They either say it's impossible to fix the mess, or say that they can't make a living. The last guy who worked here said something about spirits haunting him, but he was a little crazy."

_Spirits haunting him? In his sleep? Or was it at night? That's just silly._

Ren sighed and shifted his weight slightly. He said to the two girls, "I guess I just have to buck the trend and do a better job than the others." He added. "My name is Ren, by the way."

The black-haired girl replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Shiho." She made a gesture towards the blond. "This is Ann."

Ann nodded nonchalantly, "I guess we never explained that this is the General Store."

_How does this differ from the Flower Shop?_

"We don't sell flower or crop seeds here," Ann continued. "We do carry all of your other needs, outside of metalworking, carpentry, or animal feed." She looked over at Shiho for a moment before she continued, "Shiho even helps with tailoring, if you need patchwork, or a new look entirely."

Shiho shook her head, "I just started, so I may not be very good at it. I still have to get all of the proper tools and equipment, too."

"Don't joke like that," Ann told Shiho. "You're amazing…"

Ann's statement resulted in a small back and forth that continued with Ann reassuring and complimenting Shiho, while she gave into timidity. With the two women occupied, Ren decided it was probably best for him to leave and see if there was any other places for Tora to show him. With a short gesture to Tora, the frizzy-haired young man turned away to open the door and leave.

Before he could exit, with the door half open and him turned to the door, Ann called out to his back, "Well, good luck and we'll see you when you need stuff."

_I'm sure I'll be here if it is as useful as you are making it out to be._

With the General Store behind Ren, he was not quite sure to head next, but that was quite the common theme today. It was a completely new place of living for him. With that in mind, he for what seemed like the thousandth time, turned to Tora for guidance on where to go next on this tour.

Tora gave his best explanation to Ren about his options, "Outside of just taking a right straight to your farm, we can head across from these shops to the one remaining vendor. There is also the option of visiting the seller of horses, chickens, and other farm animals."

"That sounds like two vendors to me," Ren answered.

Tora said, "Actually, you can visit and make judgments on what potential livestock you might want to purchase, but you cannot actually purchase any unless they are open on the Market Square. The guy who runs the place is about your age, and he's quite nice."

_Seems inefficient, but it sounds like there's actually another male here. Amazing… considering that Akechi guy sounds more Askechi… That's if he really is nice like Tora says._

Ren just shrugged, "Then let's just go see the other vendor first."

Tora nodded. As the two walked away and across the street from the pair of stores Ren had just visited minutes ago, the frizzy-haired boy asked, "So, what does this other vendor sell?"

When Tora reached the other side of the street, he turned and said, "It's a little complicated to explain."

_Like everything else here…_

"It's a place that sells artistic decorations, a place where you can order blueprints for various new items on the farm, and a place where you can have the blueprints turned to actual items," Tora finished his explanation.

_What?_

Ren looked at Tora with a confused look on his face, and gave an equally confused response, "I'm still lost."

"I'll just let the artisan explain it," Tora said. He added. "I never really understood it myself, either."

_Whatever you say…_

He followed Tora regardless to figure out whatever this place was. To Ren's right was a bit of a lengthy road which would have led him to the livestock and stables vendor, but to the left, somewhat between the General Store and Flower Shop was something Ren could only describe as a shack.

It looked like a mish-mash of hastily constructed mess with patchwork fixes of metal siding. It looked to be of a decent size from the outside, but it looked so shoddy from the multitude of fixes there were no continuity in its color scheme anymore. It could be completely lavish on the inside, but the outside completely detracted all positives with its first impressions.

Regardless of any misgivings of its shoddy exterior, Ren decided to walk through a yard that was devoid of any landscaping and into a building that had no bell to announce his presence. He was met with an interior that had better lighting than any other except for maybe the church, and that was only due to the natural lighting. Contrasting the lighting were dark-colored walls, which in itself was offset by a multitude of windows. There was no counter or any other sort of long wooden piece that could be construed as something used for a place to check out. Instead the only real piece of furniture was a small wooden drafting table with a chair underneath, all of which near the right wall of the room, halfway to the far wall. The table was filled with mounds of blue paper and what appeared to be scribblings, at first glance. The only other discernible item was an easel that rested just next to it, or behind in Ren's eyes. There were two doors at the back wall, one at each end.

Tora entered shortly after Ren entered to survey it, and the older gentleman called out, "Hello…"

_It's seems like we're always intruding on peoples' breakfasts._

It was a good period of time before the back door on the left end opened and a young man slowly appeared, not holding a plate of food, but instead carrying a roll of paper and other drawing utensils. The man was a lanky affair with dark blue hair that did not quite touch upon the shades of navy. He wore long black pants with a long-sleeved white shirt that buttoned in front.

As the door started to close behind the blue-haired young man, Ren could see more drawing materials, paints, and even wood and stone. It was a whole plethora of goods for everything to do with artistry.

_So, it looks like this guy was not eating breakfast._

"Oh..." the young man asked, only half paying attention to Tora as he walked to the drawing table with the materials in his hands to set them down. "Hello, Tora… can I help you with something?"

Tora did not seem taken aback by the distracted nature as the young man continued to set up the drawing table. The older middle-aged man responded to the question as the blue-haired boy cleared out some of the old paper of the drawing board, "Yusuke, I'm here to introduce you to a new person joining our town. It's more as in I'm here to introduce the new person to you."

"I see," the boy apparently named Yusuke said. He looked up from his work momentarily to gaze at Tora. "So…?"

_Uhh… he could explain what he's doing here._

Ren decided to cut in and started to explain so Tora would not have to repeat himself, "My name is Ren. I'll be working at the farm here, starting tomorrow."

"I see…," Yusuke nodded slightly. He tapped a nearby pencil against one of the pieces of paper. "I guess I should explain you can do here."

_Finally…_

Yusuke continued, "Firstly, we commission blueprints of furniture, side buildings, or pieces of art. If extra materials are provided, we can commission another person or myself to build the furniture, building, or complete the work of art. The works of art are generally completed by me, I guess. Obviously, buildings take longer to complete than furniture or artwork."

Noticing a slightly confused look on Ren's face, Tora compounded on the explanation, "So, if you wanted to build a chicken coop on your farm so you hold, take care of, and farm chickens you would come here. You would first commission a blueprint of the chicken coop. After getting the blueprint, you would bring materials and money for one of the employees here to make the chicken coop…"

Yusuke added, "You can ask us to build a building or item with less than the amount of materials required. It just costs more. That's only in most cases. We don't carry the rarest items that some things require."

_Are they making horse stables out of gold or something?_

Ren said, "Guess I better find the materials first, then."

"It would be preferable, yes," Yusuke murmured.

_That's if I can find a way to earn the money as a farmer in the first place._

After a little more mindless chatter, Ren and Tora bid farewell to Yusuke. The soon-to-be farmer exited the artisan's shop with the older man behind him. He started walking away from Yusuke's back towards the intersection that would let him back to the narrow street that contained both the Flower Shop and the General Store. He would finally be able to head to his farm from there, supposedly. He still had a lot of pressing questions, and he had not even visited the stables yet.

He looked at Tora as they reached the intersection, "So, if I have a problem with a tool or need to get a new one, who do I go to see?"

_I just realized… I hope they're providing me with some tools._

"The blacksmith is available when the market is in town," Tora said, turning to the left so they continue past Ann and Shiho's shop. "With proper materials, you can have your tools refined." Noticing the look on Ren's face, Tora added. "We are providing you with some basic farming tools, like a hoe, watering can, sickle, and such."

_Good… but more upgrading tools? Jeez…_

Tora continued when he saw the minute relief on Ren's face, "You can also purchase tools that would not normally be available."

"I guess that makes sense…," Ren agreed mindlessly, trying to shut out that it was just another cost he probably would not have money for.

The two continued the walk for a bit longer, the gap between the previous intersection and the farm was longer than any other he had taken so far. It was at that moment the frizzy-haired young man's eyes gazed upon a sudden change from the lightly maintained and sparse grass of the road to what almost looked like a complete wasteland of dirt as the road shifted into nothingness slightly at a thirty degree angle. Ren's face dropped at the sight of what lay beyond the long strip of dirt.

The shining point was a very small wooden home with tiled blue roofing, a wooden door and two rectangular windows placed on either side of that door. The rest of what lay before him was terrifying. There was a small well and what looked to be a very large partially reinforced wooden box that appeared to be for storage or for dropping things off that was actually in the dirt area. However, there was nothing but horror to be seen in what was supposed to be the field. The only thing that gave Ren the idea that it actually was the field was that the dirt was of a different color than where the well was situated. This field was so hard to differentiate because it was completely strewn with anything but crops. There was an occasional unkempt tree, but the majority of the items littering the field were random rocks, weeds, and branches. It was as if the last person threw a typhoon upon the place and did not bother to pick any of it up afterwards.

_What… the…_

His eyes shifted away, almost thankfully from the mess that was staring before him. A fair distance beyond the well and box led to another narrow road. One kept heading straightforward, while the other appeared to loop into an almost small mountain. Whatever the elevated area could be classified as, mountain or hill, there was a drastic change of flora as soon as the road curved into it. It was as if there was a line that when crossed, switched over to fertile wild land with beautiful trees and flowers.

However, the farm was not on that land. Ren was on desolate wasteland.

_I guess I know why every other farmer left…_

He sighed and prepared to get his explanation from the man who brought him to the place, if not to the town itself.

"Uhh…," Ren pursed his lips, unsure of where to start.

Tora could sense the unease from Ren, cleared his throat before he proceeded, "Well, as you can see, the field before you needs a little work in regards of cleanup, but the soil itself is pretty fertile for growing crops that are in season. It should be easy enough to till, but also sturdy enough for anything to be built upon, like a stable, chicken coop, or any sort of barn."

_Yeah right, a little work… my parents really couldn't find me another school? I'd even take a military school over this._

Tora kept up his explanation among Ren's thoughts, "There's a well for any needs in filling a watering can."

"And that box?" Ren questioned, looking over at the large container next to the well.

Tora answered, "That's actually a chilled box for you to enter all produce or other products you wish to sell for the day. You will receive a certain amount of funds in return after pickup in the evening."

"Based on what? When they sell?" Ren asked inquisitively.

Tora waited a second and then answered, "There is a market value in general, so we go off that."

_That seems rather inefficient. What if there is a shortage?_

When Ren raised that line of question, Tora responded, "Unlike some of our other previous farmers, we are not expecting you to be pumping out massive amounts of goods. At the very least, we expect what you are selling to come back into the community, and then we will see how it flourishes from there."

_Well, I'm glad to see the bar is set… so… high_

Tora continued, "There should be tools, the ones we talked about previously_, _in another box inside your home. The box should be good for non-perishables like seeds, as well. There's also a basic kitchen setup, but you'd probably need to buy or build if you want to make fancier dishes. That's probably up to you to meet up with Sojiro, Lala, and others."

_Figures…_

Tora quickly added, "If you're unsure on how to cook something, you can also purchase recipes at the inn, as well."

_Everything has a price…_

"From the outside, it does seem small," Ren tried not to sound disappointed, but then give a spin, "I'm sure it's homely."

"You can always expand upon it, and add furniture, if you so wish," Tora told him. "Yusuke can help you with that."

_For a cost… not to mention the materials… I'm not exactly a rich guy, just a high school kid._

There was a slight awkward pause before Ren finally said, "So, is there anything else I should know before I get at it?"

Tora thought for a second, looking at Ren before gesturing to the road leading the other direction towards the hilly area, "Well, you know that the other direction loops back towards the pond and the Service District. There's a spring that runs to the pond, and with its natural beauty, it's supposed to be somewhat of a place of preservation."

"A place of preservation?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"The best explanation would be that it is a place where you should not disturb the balance of nature," Tora said after a second. It took him another second before he finished. "If there were really spirits or something haunting the past famers, it would probably be because they tried to harm the natural balance of the spring."

_Huh… as in they tried to cut down the forest?_

When Ren posed a similar question, Tora answered, "I would say something like you can pick a flower, but not take down a tree. You could take a seed or a fruit, but not uproot the bush." The older man shrugged. "I don't think it would be wise to throw your waste into the spring."

"Got it, don't litter in the pretty area of town," Ren nodded.

Tora nodded in return, "It would be nice if you don't litter anywhere, but that's probably a good idea."

"So, anything else?" Ren again asked.

"I guess there's one minor thing…," Tora motioned for Ren to follow him, which the frizzy black-haired boy did. He ended up walking to the side of the small home where he was greeted by a small pet house. "It can probably hold a cat or small dog."

_I guess that's one expense that won't go into the artisan's pocket._

"It might be nice to have a pet once it all settles down," Ren commented.

"It could make the transition better," Tora agreed.

Ren sighed. The sun was past the mid-point and was even starting to dip. The tour had taken far, far too long. He looked over to Tora, "I'm guessing you have places to be. Can't be babysitting me all day."

"Oh, I'll see you tonight for produce pick-up," Tora responded.

"You're the one coming to pick up whatever I throw in?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Try not to throw in too much trash or other worthless items," Tora suggested. "I can't give you money for things that cannot be sold."

_I'm way, way over my head._

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

_**I Wish Someone Could Teach me How to Farm**_


End file.
